From: MyComputerWorks.com

Today's hint/Question: Passwords

Re: Hint from MyComputerWorks.com

Unfortunately, this is something that happens often. Having a
strong password is so important when it comes to defending
yourself against hackers, but that isn't always enough.

?We want to share with you some of the common ways that
hackers can get a hold of your password(s). 

Keyloggers

This term describes a certain kind of malware. This malware
is hidden and runs in the background of your computer. When a
keylogger goes undetected, the hackers can track every key
you press on your keyboard. The goal is to gain a user's
login credentials for any and all private accounts.

Once these criminals have your username and password, they
can gain a new identity, money, personal information, and
more; all at your expense. Consider purchasing a good anti-
malware software and have it installed on your computer.

Password Leaks

We have seen it before, and we will see it again. Every now
and then a huge company is hacked; Facebook, Gmail, and
Dropbox, for a few examples. When major brands like these are
hacked, their user's passwords are leaked onto the web. With
information like this, criminals can take advantage of any
individual's personal data.

Unfortunately, there is no way for you to stop this. You can
prevent criminals from gaining access to more than one
digital platform by NOT reusing the same password. Majority
of online users have the same password for every account;
this is not a good idea. Recycling these credentials could
turn a bad problem into a worse one. Be sure to use different
usernames and passwords for all of your private accounts.

Phishing

Phishing is a scam that preys on human nature and human
error. The goal with phishing is to trick the victim into
doing something. In most cases, these hackers are able to
trick individuals into giving up personal information like:
login credentials, credit card information, social security
numbers, and more.

These criminals can do this by sending clickable links to
your emails that, if opened, can install spyware on your
computer. They my even create a disguised malicious website
or app to look like a legitimate service that asks for your
personal information. If you do not do research on who or
what you're giving your private information to, you may be
sending your data straight into the hands of a scammer.

Brute Force Attacks

These attacks are scary because hackers will stop at nothing
to figure out the victims password. They are called brute
force attacks because these criminals have created software
to repeatedly guess your password until they log into your
accounts. Millions of attempts per second to guess your
password is impossible for a human to achieve, hence the
cybercriminals use of software.

These purpose-made tools use every possible combination of
characters until they gain access to your accounts by finding
the correct password. The shorter the password, the faster
this process becomes. To slow down a brute force attack, or
stop it completely, you'll need to strengthen your passwords.
Use upper and lowercase letters, make it random, add
characters throughout, and give it a decent length. Our aim
is to teach all of our readers things they want to learn or
may be interested in. Feel free to reply to this email with
topics you would like to see covered in future letters. For
one-on-one help save our number and give us a call.


Sincerely,
Your Go-To I.T. Gurus at My Computer Works.
(877) 637-7573
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